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Secondary education

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Original poster

Science GCSEs level 1 start this week!

190 replies

OrmIrian · 10/01/2012 13:03

I'm hyperventilating on behalf of DS1.... who had one wobble the day before he went back to school but is now irritatingly calm. I am dragging him kicking and screaming through his revision books. We have had lots of eye-rolling, tutting, surreptitious looking at the laptop, attempts to distract me with the Flight of Conchord DVDs.... but we've finished Biology! Hurrah! Exam on Thursday

Just chemistry and physics now..... Hmm

It's a bloody nightmare. I avoided science as much as possible at school and just scraped a C in biology. At least it makes DS feel better - he does at least know more than me.

Anyone else ?

OP posts:
Original poster
OrmIrian · 12/01/2012 15:48

"I hope all your DC's have been prepared properly for the longer written questions."

Ha ha ha ha! Ah ha ha ha....... Thanks Grin

Yes, AQA.

OP posts:
Hullygully · 12/01/2012 15:49

yy this really annoys me Pat. People talk about results going up and down yadda yadda, but nothing about HOW MUCH HARDER THE SODDING PAPERS ARE THIS YEAR.

PatTheHammer · 12/01/2012 15:51

Orm- I meant by their teachers....not the parents!!

I spent ages going through the 6 and 10 mark questions with my classes and now I'm glad I did!

lubeybooby · 12/01/2012 15:52

My DD has done a module of her science GCSE today. She seems to be feeling quite positive. I seem to always be giving her the same pep talk about revising enough so she feels she can do her absolute best, keeping calm in the exam and reading the questions properly etc. She does seem to have tried very hard bless her - she revises in front of me but not really 'with' me unless she's very stuck on something.

She retook a maths one in Novemberish and we get the result of that tomorrow

Hullygully · 12/01/2012 15:52

6 and 10 mark questions

lubeybooby · 12/01/2012 15:53

Oh and yes it was AQA - she mentioned having 15 minutes to go and still four questions left and feeling a bit panicky but she said she managed to do it.

ShirleyKnottage · 12/01/2012 15:53

Waiting for DS to text me. He did let me know earlier that he "only" got a C on his latest maths module and was FURIOUS.

Original poster
OrmIrian · 12/01/2012 15:55

Ha! Got you at in now hully Grin

pat- It was jjust the thought of DS writing anything coherent of more than 2 sentences under stressful conditions. But they've been through old papers and I have to assume the school know what they are going and that DS is more capable than I fear

OP posts:
PatTheHammer · 12/01/2012 15:58

Agreed Hully, and very much at a disadvantage this year are children that find literacy a challenge. Several of my bottom set year 10 have a scribe in the exam and this automatically loses them some marks in the 10 mark question as they are not doing their own punctuation...mad!

Hullygully · 12/01/2012 15:58

Ha! Got you at in now hully

In English s'il vous plait?

Hullygully · 12/01/2012 15:58

Ds has literacy difficulties

PatTheHammer · 12/01/2012 16:01

I'm sure they will all be fine, you all sound like you have been working as hard as I have....reassuring to see from my side I can tell you, hope lots of my parents are just as bothered!

BellaVita · 12/01/2012 16:01

Sorry Orm Blush if I panicked you... I thought the maths was a resit as they take the best result depending on how they did in June/November.

magentadreamer · 12/01/2012 16:02

Long answers? Bugger! DD is good at science because she doesn't have to write reams! Sad

Hullygully · 12/01/2012 16:02

Ah just worked it out Orm, got you at IT

Original poster
OrmIrian · 12/01/2012 16:03

So have I it appears Grin

I meant 'got you at in now' - ie hand-wringing and tearing of hair.

Called home, DS said it was 'good' which could mean anything. But he said there was nothing he couldn't answer. I asked if he was nervous and he said ' a bit', but then went on to say it took him 6 attempts to write his name because he was so nervous.

The only module DS has done is English and the results won't be back for a while apparently.

OP posts:
ShirleyKnottage · 12/01/2012 16:04

Right. Got a text - nothing he revised for was in the test. Hmm

Fabulous. He sounds really downhearted actually. Sad

PatTheHammer · 12/01/2012 16:04

Does he need a scribe though Hully? If he can write himself, has a reader or uses a laptop then it won't apply as he will be writing himself and can gain maximum marks if he answers well.

Only 3 pupils in my bottom set of 15 have no scribe, reader or extra time. They are attempting the Chemistry paper next week and I just feel that they would have done so much better on last year's syllabusSad

Original poster
OrmIrian · 12/01/2012 16:04

IT!! FFS IT!!!!

OP posts:
Original poster
OrmIrian · 12/01/2012 16:05

It's OK bella - I suspect there are loads of possible variations. DS is categorically not in the top set for maths. or anything really. Apart from music I suppose and there aren't any sets for that.

OP posts:
BellaVita · 12/01/2012 16:06

Oh Shirls, it will be ok. He will be ok...

Original poster
OrmIrian · 12/01/2012 16:06

pat -I guess you are doing all this fretting on behalf of your entire class. I don't envy you. Fingers crossed for all your pupils.

OP posts:
BellaVita · 12/01/2012 16:07

DS has taken music too Orm Grin.

Hullygully · 12/01/2012 16:07

DS just rang. Apparently it was "all right, but oh well can I go to my friend's if I revise a lot at the weekend?"

Hullygully · 12/01/2012 16:07

Yes Pat, everything crossed for you and them.

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